The Dangerous World of Sleeptalking
by everetza
Summary: Sarah was free of the Labyrinth. At least until she developed a habit which turned out to be very...inconvinient. Sleeptalking. And the Goblin King is in no mood to listen to excuses; she said the words, now she pays the consequences. Please R&R!
1. Make me an offer

Sarah woke up sweating. Images of black crystal dragons following her into waking. They had been terrifying. So terrifying, in fact, she had even wished for _him_ to save her. With a breathless laugh, Sarah flipped onto her back, giddy to be free of the nightmare. Eyes still half- closed, she mused about which was worse- the dragons, or her supposed savior. In her mind's eye, she could see him. Glittering cape, dark brown leggings, golden amulet resting beneath that hauntingly beautiful face…. And that voice…. Offering her dreams in such an enticing drawl, so soft yet heard so easily over the roars of the dragons.

"Am I expected to wait here all day, Sarah?" Sarah jerked up, wide eyes fixated on the majestic image before her. Jareth. He was leaning against the wall, feet casually crossed, eyes belying his calm expression with their arresting intensity.

"I… uh… you're-um?" Looking amused at her ramblings, he strode forward until he towered above her at the side of the bed.

"You're… here." Her thoughts had finally started to merge from the disjointed nature of shock and sleep, leading to this; the only coherent conclusion she could fathom in her shock.

"Marvelous powers of perception. What _will_ you think of next?" His drawl, laced with sarcasm, rested on the edge of arrogance; the arrogant edge. Sarah colored lightly, looking down. With a deep breath, she gathered resolve. It was time for an answer she was sure she didn't want.

"Why _are_ you here?" Jareth laughed, his clear voice echoing along the walls.

"You called me. Surely you have not forgot _already_, little Sarah. Even for one of your race, that is remarkably forgetful." Damn. She thought so, but it always sucks to have your suspicions confirmed. Especially when confirming them means you just invited a baby- stealing Goblin King into your room because you had a _bad dream._ Anyway, it's not like it's her choice what she did in a dream! Sarah felt a familiar anger begin to brew inside her- this wasn't fair! Turning her darkened gaze on the object of her anger, she allowed her annoyance to spill into her words.

"So frickin' what? It was a dream! As in little images that don't mean a damn. It doesn't give you the right to barge in here, acting like you're the frickin'-"

"What? The King?" His self- assured smirk only served to infuriate her further. She struggled to her feet on the other side of the bed and was about to renew her tirade when he held up a gloved hand.

"Stop. Whether or not you meant to call me, whether or not it was a dream- and I would have thought, Sarah, that you might have learnt not to dismiss the power of dreams- it does not change the facts. You called, I came. I come… I want something in return." Here his smile turned feral, sharp teeth revealed. Sarah's skin turned cold, her anger evaporated in a wave of fear.

"I don't agree to that." Her voice was low, barely audible, but she was proud of how little it shook. Slowly, she rose her eyes to his, meeting his gaze in a silent battle of wills. Mismatched pupils bored into her, making her swallow rapidly several times. She was the first to look away. His victorious laugh was low and joyful. After a second, though, his voice turned serious. He sauntered over to her, standing a mere foot away as he spoke.

"You agreed to my rules when you ran the Labyrinth. This doesn't change simply due to the passage of time. If you had said this before our… encounter," here a bitter edge seemed to creep into his tone -"then perhaps it would be as you say- I, in fact, would almost certainly have not even heard or heeded the call." With a vicious twist of his lips, he leaned in and lowered his voice to that of a confident,

"But, my dear Sarah, it _did _happen after, I _did_ hear your cry and I _did_ heed it. So why don't we skip the preliminaries and get down to what I want, hmm?" Sarah stood shaking under his gaze, too overwhelmed to come up with an adequate response. Jareth straightened and his air of indifference once again settled about him.

"So, Sarah…" A crystal appeared on his outstretched hand, glinting with the light. He stared her straight in the eye as he tossed it to her. By reflex, she caught it and his smirk widened.

"Make me an offer." Jareth relaxed back against the footboard of the bed, waiting expectantly. His calm was a stark contrast to the dizzying tirade of thoughts fighting for position in Sarah's mind. What could she offer him? What could she bear to lose?

"I could… I could… train Hoggle and your army; teach them how to read, how to write notes, help them become more efficient?" Her voice rose despite her efforts, her eyes lowered in anticipation of his jeering laugh. She knew he would not accept, but it was all she could think of. For a second, he considered her in his cold way. Then a slow smile began to spread across his face.

"Deal." The word repeated over and again as Sarah felt the disorienting swirl of teleportation.

As soon as her feet were steady, she whipped around, glaring a Jareth.

"What are you doing, bringing me here?! I didn't ask for this, it isn't fair!" A wide sweep of her hand took in the dusty throne and empty throne room. Jareth merely raised an eyebrow, slinking over to sprawl, relaxed, in his throne.

"But you did. You asked to train my army- an army of _goblins_, Sarah, to _read_. There is simply no way you could accomplish that without permanent residence in the Underground." With a sinking feeling, Sarah realized he was right. She had thought of just teaching classes through her mirror or something; really, she hadn't thought at all, but the concept hadn't seemed so bad. Now, though, she stood in front of the one person who had the power to send her home and knew she would never convince him to do it. She was trapped. In his kingdom. At his mercy. She was trapped.

A/N: So, what did you think? Any reviews, good or bad, are very much welcomed; I'm quite a new writer and need the feedback. I wrote this planning it to be a one- shot, since there are loads of fics of Sarah back in the Labyrinth, this was just my take on one way she could get there, but I may decide to continue it. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it is the wonderful work of Jim Henson and not mine :(


	2. Into the world

Subdued, Sarah stood, trying to work her overwhelmed mind around what her life would be now; what she had lost. It didn't help that Jareth was still staring at her, smirk more prominent than ever. But the challenging glint in his eyes, the triumph in his posture- that did push her to act. Trapped she may be, but she was still strong. With enough will, there was always a way. It may take time, but she would find a way out. Yes, she would! And when she did the first thing she would do would be to smack that arrogant smirk right off his face! Filled with renewed purpose, she rose his gaze to his. The first step was scouting out the situation.

"What next? If I'm going to live here, where will I sleep, eat?" Her voice was defiant, but fear began to thread its way through her chest as his smirk grew even wider.

"You're always so independent, Sarah. Now you want me to take care of you? Oh, no. I'm sure you'll find _somewhere _to stay; the goblins in the city can be quite," he paused, looking around as if searching for the right word. Finally, he turned back to her and the feral smile was once again present, "accommodating… once you find something they want. As for food, you can eat with the army- I will expect you to start lessons at 3 and run until 13, taking groups of at least nine at a time. During your lessons, lunch and dinner will be delivered." Sarah tried desperately to keep her lip from quivering, facing him even while pressure formed behind her eyes. For a moment, all was quiet. Each of the pair simply staring at the other, wordlessly expressing their feelings of triumph and defeat.

Abruptly, Jareth broke contact, forming a crystal on his hand.

"Go, now. There is a goblin waiting for you outside the door. Any concerns should be brought to her, and she will advise you on the areas of the castle which are off limits." Sarah opened her mouth briefly, before shutting it; realizing she had no idea what to say. Instead, she simply nodded and trudged to the door. She never looked back. Never saw the mismatched eyes of the Goblin King following her, the crystal forgotten on the floor.

It was hours later when Sarah stood, swaying on her feet, surrounded by a swarm of goblins. Her guide, Rumple, had dutifully shown her the many doors of the castle Sarah was not to pass. So many in fact, that when Sarah asked where in the castle she _could_ go, she got only a mystified shrug in return. The tour had taken over an hour, leaving Sarah exhausted when she returned to the city. Of course, her day was not over yet. No, Jareth would never give her a day off for something as minor as being dropped in the middle of a whole new world. Sighing, Sarah went back to her attempts at explaining the sounds the letter 'A' represented. She was beginning to wish she had just tackled Jareth and gotten a good night's sleep in an oubliette somewhere. But there was no use in could have's. She was here now, and she had a job to do.

"So, I've been through the sounds. Who can tell me what this symbol stands for, now?" She pointed to the 'A', hoping that maybe they'd finally got it through their skulls. They had skulls, right?

"I think it's one of them ninja Goblins from across the city doing the limbo!" A rather lopsided goblin proclaimed. A series of shouts backed him up, but were matched by an equal number of jeering asides.

"Ninja goblins! Everyone knows that's a pile of puppy dogs tails, it is!"

"You always think its puppy dogs tails!" The group chorused, erupting into chaos as they all pushed and shoved, jumping up to screech what they thought it was.

"Enough!" Sarah thundered, glaring at the gathered assembly. As if on pause, they all stopped, only their eyes moving to stare at Sarah. She took a deep breath, forcing down her frustration.

"Sit!" She commanded, the same iron lacing her voice. Every goblin sat, silent. For a moment all was still.

"Ok, once more! This is a letter. It is called 'A'. Depending on what position it's in, with what other letters, it can be one of these sounds…."

Four hours later, it seemed they had finally mastered the first letter of the alphabet. Just in time, as dinner was delivered. Sarah, already pale thinking of teaching the letter 'A' to _another_ nine goblins tomorrow, grew even paler when she saw the 'food'. It was moving. Grey, slithery and _moving_. She tapped a goblin on the shoulder as it passed.

"Uh, what is this?" She couldn't help the note of panic that entered her voice.

"Slimy snails!" He announced, grinning from ear to ear.

"And puppy dogs tails…" a meek voice interrupted.

"There's no puppy dogs tails!" The whole group chorused, laughing and jeering. Sudden as that, the last meal was grabbed and the sound of slurping filled the cabin. Sarah's stomach started to turn and she shoved her bowl across the table.

"Ah, this one bit me!"

"Ha ha ha ha!!"

"Ya gotta eat em from the tail firs', Gamble!"

"Orf ya jus' ea' em alls at once, le' 'em bite eachother! Another goblin proclaimed through a full mouth.

Sarah had become more and more pale, feeling the bile rising in her throat. Sprinting out into the streets, she barely made it to an empty corner before throwing up.

Rumple found her curled into a ball there an almost an hour later.

"Tall- tall? Hey! Hey,Taaall-taaaaaaaaall?" The goblins had taken to calling her that due to her height. Miserable and hungry, Sarah childishly refused to answer, instead curling farther in on herself. Mumbling sounded above her a second before she was jabbed with a sharp stick.

"Ow!" Sarah scrambled to her feet, glaring down at the offending goblin. Rumple merely nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. No sleeping on streeties!" Anger burst out of Sarah at this.

"Well then where am I meant to sleep! I'm tired and I'm hungry and I don't know anyone and I'm meant to leave everything that I ever knew and what?! What am I supposed to do!!" The last was shouted right into the little goblin's face. An unearthly keening sound rose from it. It took Sarah a moment to realize it was crying. Immediately, she was besieged by guilt. It rose in her like a wave, bringing her to her knees with its force. Hesitantly, she put her arms around the wailing goblin.

"I'm sorry," she murmured to it,

"I didn't mean to shout at you. Hey, how would you like a pretty ring? As thanks for helping me?" Slowly, Rumple's eyes started to clear, taking on an excited glint. Reaching one of her grubby hands forward, she yanked the ring off Sarah's finger, staring at it in wonder.

"For me?" She asked in bewilderment. Sarah nodded and was tempted to leave it at that; after all, she'd make the poor thing cry… but…. She still needed a place to stay and she didn't exactly have many bargaining chips.

"Yes, it's for you. But you need to let me stay at your house, alright? And can you tell the cooks that I can't eat anything that's alive," Sarah considered before adding, "or any animals at all, I need _human _food, alright?" Rumple seemed to think this very funny.

"_Human_ food. What you want that icky for? You not human." Sarah frowned, staring intently at the goblin.

"Yes, I am. So do we have a deal?"

"Ok-ies," Rumple sang, still chuckling away, and led Sarah to her new home.

A/N: Ok, so I decided to try making it a chapter story. Good or bad, tell me what you think! I've got a few ideas for where it'll go, so hopefully the updates won't be more than 4 or so days apart. Also, I'd like to say thanks to all my reviewers, you've all been really helpful!

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it is the wonderful work of Jim Henson and not mine :(


	3. All going as planned

Sarah woke to the sight of mismatched spoons dangling overhead. It was a sight that was becoming all too familiar. Only five days had passed since her arrival in the Labyrinth and she was already homesick beyond belief. It wasn't just how different it was here and certainly wasn't the length of time she'd been away. It was the nagging thought that she would _never_ get back. The depressing, impractical, much too possible thought that simply refused to leave her alone. Tears threatened to escape the carefully guarded prison her eyes had become. It didn't do to let such strong emotions show Underground. You were likely to get questioned, taunted, followed or if you were incredibly unlucky… _he_ would see it.

Sarah had been so unlucky yesterday. As she sat and remembered the euphoric giggles of three- year-old Toby, the subtle smiles from her boyfriend Bryan and the not- so- subtle prodding from her stepmother, the tears had started falling. She missed them so much. She even missed the loud, smelly toddlers from her part- time job at the daycare down the street. Toby would be alone with her stepmother, now. Robert had died two years ago, only months after her return from the Labyrinth. In the midst of her grief, the most unwelcome sound in the world cut through. A low laugh, cruel and arrogant. He didn't appear, at least. Just sent his laugh to let her know that he had seen.

It was hard for Sarah to believe so little time had passed. In just a few days, she had adapted to a totally new life. You had to, here. The goblins may not be cruel, but they weren't sympathetic, either. Like children they blindly took and questioned, regardless of the consequences to anyone else. More than once Sarah had come to the brink of rage, but she remembered the keening of Rumple and held herself in check. It was just so stressful, here. There were no breaks. When she wasn't teaching, she was advising the cooks on her food, or garnering favor with the goblins, or trying to push away a horde of overeager 'students'.

Sighing deeply, she uncurled herself and rose from the wrinkled sheets. Her stomach growled and she was glad she'd had the forethought to save some leftovers from the day before. Stale bread and some unknown fruit concoction. Yum.

Just as she was finishing, Rumple barreled into her, full of news.

"Tall-tall! We made a new chant! It goes…. A, A, A , A, A…. A, A, A….. A,A!!!" Rumple paused for breath, looking extremely proud.

"Isn't it greaties?!" For a moment Sarah just stared, before she erupted into laughter. She could just imagine the look on Jareth's face when he found out his 'army' had taken to reciting the letter A!

"It's great, Rumple. Come on, now. I promised Figgle I'd show her what a pen is this morning." Sarah began to trot off, Rumple following behind still singing her new chant.

It was some time later, as Sarah was preparing for bed (she had charmed the city seamstress into making some bedclothes in her size) that a nagging thought began to push at her. She had been remembering her first day here, comparing the crying Rumple in her memories to the cheerful one from today and something…

"Rumple?" Sarah called out, glancing around the small cabin.

Rumple emerged from the closet that served as a playroom, kitchen, and whatever else, holding in her hand a cup of Sarah- really- did- not- want- to- know- what.

"Tall- ta…mff" Her voice faded off into a yawn as she looked at Sarah with half- closed eyes. For a moment Sarah considered leaving her questions until morning, but she was really much too curious. Kneeling down, she looked the little goblin straight in the eye.

"Rumple… the first night I was here you said something… that I wasn't human, remember? Why'd you say that, Rumple? What made you think I'm not human?" Sarah studied the goblin before her. As she had spoken, Rumple's eyes had widened and she had begun to back away.

"Rumple? Rumple, what's wrong?!" If anything, the goblin became more withdrawn, fitting herself into a corner and burying her head between her knees. Sarah could hear faint murmurs coming from the balled up goblin.

"Bad… bad Rumple… king no happy… no good… no no good… very bad…" Cautiously, Sarah came closer, shuffling across the floor until she was knee to knee with the quivering mass. Tentatively, she reached out a hand. It had almost landed on the goblin's shoulder when Rumple leaped up and sprinted for the door, her little legs furiously working to carry her out of sight.

Mystified, Sarah watched from the entryway to the hut, too shocked to follow. What had made the little goblin, usually so carefree, become so scared? It sounded like she had said Jareth had told her not to mention it. Had he punished Rumple for mentioning it to Sarah that first night? Sarah felt a familiar rage build inside her. For the past five days she had trapped her anger and frustration inside. Now she let it all boil to the surface and directed it at the man who had caused it all. The man who had kidnapped her. Stolen her brother all those years ago. Left her to fend for herself in an unusual and daunting world. The man who had hurt and frightened a goblin who was as innocent as a child.

Sarah had always been a defender of others. Abuse she would take with merely a roll of the eyes when directed at her would often escalate to a full- scale brawl if one of her friends was the victim. Eyes grimly set, Sarah began the march to the castle. It was time for a brawl.

**************************************POV Shift***********************************

Jareth had had a particularly relaxing evening. Complaints had been minimal. Those goblins that had seen fit to whine had made excellent tools for him to practice his kicking technique. Best of all, he was sure in his knowledge that all was going as planned. Last time he had checked on Sarah, she had been bawling her eyes out. It wouldn't be long before she sought his assistance. Well within the limit. That idiotic little goblin, Rumple, had almost ruined it all, but no matter. Soon Sarah would come, and then… well then, he could have anything he wanted, couldn't he? Dangle some good food, a bed, perhaps a quick visit home in front of her and she would deny him nothing.

Still incased in his glow of contented superiority, he began to saunter down the hallway, thinking it might be fun to do a bit more Sarah- gazing. Hopefully she wouldn't be asleep already- such a boring habit of lower beings; humans and goblins alike.

Reaching his throne, he efficiently spread himself comfortably across it before conjuring a crystal. He was unprepared for the brutally angry eyes that stared back at him. The edges of the crystal began to turn red and it grew heated in his hand. Muttering a curse, he quickly vanished the crystal. It took incredibly strong emotions for anyone other than him to affect his crystals like that. While she hadn't known he was watching, Jareth had no doubt that the anger in her eyes was for him. A small smile quirked his lips. If nothing else, this would be fun. With a swish of his hand, Jareth transformed his clothes into one of his more imposing ensembles. It was full black, lined with flickering red thread that disappeared when looked at directly. Opting for a more remote surveillance, Jareth watched intently as a single figure hurtled down the streets without hesitation. Oh, yes. This would be very fun indeed.

_A/N: So, what do you think? Any reviews, good or bad, very much appreciated. I know this chapter started off a bit slow, but I'm hoping the ending makes up for it and that it explained a bit more. Once again, thanks all my reviewers; your suggestions and praise have helped immeasurably with the writing of this fic! Oh, and if anyone thought the 'within the limit' comment seemed weird, don't worry, it'll be explained later! So, now I go off and evilly leave you all with this little cliffhanger! Next update should be within a few days. Bye! :)_

_Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it is the wonderful work of Jim Henson and not mine :(_


	4. Never forget

Jareth raised an eyebrow as Sarah barreled in, attempting to throw both doors open at once. Of course, the mortal girl was not strong enough for such a feat and was quickly knocked back. When would they learn that only _he_ was talented enough for such entrances? By the time she successfully traversed the heavy bronze- coated doors, he was already lounging against a near wall, smirk in place.

"Sarah, Sarah. Forgetting something, aren't we? I know your little goblin… _associate_ warned you this place was off- bounds." Jareth could not contain his laughter at the distorted expression of outrage that crossed her face. Nor did he try to. He was king, after all.

Jareth watched with carefully concealed interest as Sarah curled her hands into fists and took a deep breath, surely preparing for some tirade- probably regarding how _unfair_ everything was. These people never did seem able to comprehend his generosity, too wrapped up in their own pathetic and fleeting lives.

"What did you do to Rumple?" Her voice was low, rich with barely contained fury and Jareth arched his eyebrows in genuine surprise. This was about the goblin? A flicker of unease flashed through him. This was not how things were supposed to go. Where were the selfish demands that would quickly degenerate into begging for his assistance?

"How I handle my goblins is none of your concern, Sarah. What _is_ of your concern is that you have now exceeded the generous hospitality I offered you." With this he took a step forward until he stood only a few strides before her, enjoying the telling hitch in her breathing.

"Generous hospitality! You call taking me from my family, my friends, my _life_, you call that _generous_? You call throwing me, alone, into the city with no place to stay and no food, no nothing, you call that _frickin' generous_?!" Jareth frowned. The amusement he gained from her overwrought emotions was quickly fading into annoyance at her selective ignorance.

"I call allowing you a place in _my_ city, giving you a guide from _my_ retinue and transporting you with _my_ magic so you can fulfill _your_ bargain- yes, Sarah. That is generous!" He thundered the last, using his magic to make it echo throughout the room. It was time this mortal learned her place. With deliberate steps, he strode forward until he stood mere inches from Sarah's flushed and angry face. Eyes focused on hers, he slowly leaned forward until his mouth was even with her ear. In a barely audible voice, he murmured,

"I call allowing you to be anywhere _near_ me, after what you did. That is more generous than I have ever been." With that, he spun, striding away from her shocked face. With a quick order, he sent a small group of his fiercer goblins to escort her from his castle. Pausing on the stairs, he listened to her muffled struggles as she was dragged from his presence. Wearily, he closed his eyes. More than anything, he wished she would, for once in her life, simply do as he expected. He didn't think he could stand it if he was rejected once again.

********************************POV Shift**********************************

Sarah wrenched the strong hands from her arms as soon as she reached the city limits, giving each of the offending goblins a sound glaring- at. That had so not gone how she wanted it to. How was it that Jareth could be so utterly ridiculous and yet utterly irrefutable at the same time?

"Damn it!" Sarah yelled, pounding her fist violently on the nearest cabin. What the hell did he mean anyway, with that last comment? If he didn't want her here, why'd the hell he take her here? Oh, yeah, because he was an infuriating Goblin King who lived to ruin her life. With a growl of confused frustration, Sarah continued her pounding of the wall.

" 'Ey! Watcha doing that for? Gonna wake sum goblin up, you are! 'Ey, wait a min-si! You woke me up! Watcha do that for?" A disgruntled goblin stared up at her from the threshold, leathery face tilted curiously to the side. Just like that, all the steam rushed out of Sarah. She suddenly felt eighty years old and god, she was _tired_.

"Nothing. I just… um…" She half- heartedly searched her mind for an excuse that would work on the goblin.

"I saw a bug. I was trying to squish it, that's all." The goblin's face completely transformed, glowing with excitement. Leaping out the doorway, it began to circle the cabin in fighting pose, calling out to its friend inside,

" 'Ey! 'Ey, Yirgle! There's a bug, there is! Get ou' 'ere!" Amused despite herself, Sarah waved a weary goodbye before trudging off down the road, leaving the two excited goblins to face off against the imaginary bug.

Relief washed over Sarah as she collapsed onto her bed, flinging an arm across her eyes. Lately, anytime she encountered Jareth she would feel so tired after. When she came to the Labyrinth the first time, she had thrived on the magic, her encounters with Jareth energizing her, pushing her to do better. But when she went back home… everything was the same. She didn't start seeing magic, noticing things she'd discounted before or any of that stuff you read about. Her stepmother continued to be bossy and condescending, Toby continued to bawl until her ears came off (she almost wished she'd listened to the Firey's when they said she didn't _really_ need two ears) and then… Robert had died. No warning. They said it was a blood clot that had cut off circulation from his heart. So, one day she had come home from school and he was just… dead. No magic to bring him back. After that… fantasies, costumes, books on magic; none of that helped her anymore. They just reminded her how cruel and unfair the world really was.

As tears began to fall, she named each tear after what she missed. Toby's habit of announcing his presence in medieval language before entering a room. Making cookies with Grandma Kate. Sneaking off to dance with Bryan. Chatting with Jenny over coffee. George, Rose, Harry, Eliza, Jessica, Rowan and Matt; all her friends from school. Robert.

Sniffling, she forced herself to stop that train of thought- it wouldn't lead anywhere good. But she couldn't just forget them. Dishonor their memory by casting it aside. Laying there in the dark, she made herself a promise. No matter what happened, she wouldn't forget them. Every time that the world became too much for her, or that Jareth was particularly cruel, she would think of them. Because if she did that, Jareth would never own her. He may have trapped her body in the Underground, but that was all. Her will was strong- she would never let him trap all of her. That decided, she drifted into a dreamless sleep.

_A/N: Chapter four, all done! Good or bad, tell me what you think! I'm not too sure about the last few paragraphs of this chapter, any feedback would be appreciated. Hopefully I'll be able to keep up this speed of updating for a while, but I'm not sure. Once again, my most sincere thanks to all my reviewers for wonderful, very useful reviews! Well, I'm off, au revoir! :) _

_Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it is the wonderful work of Jim Henson and not mine :(_


	5. New strategy

Cursing, Jareth threw the crystal against the wall, where it promptly reverted itself into his magic. This was not working at all. He could see that Sarah was distraught; she cried at night, whispering to the dark. Her food was stale and flavorless, her work was hard and she had no idea of the present situation with her family. So why, in the name of the kingdom, had she not come to him? Surely she knew he was the only one who could offer her respite?

Jareth's eyes flicked to the clock in the corner. Five days, five hours and thirteen minutes. If she was not his by then… shaking off such thoughts, he promptly transported to his throne room, calling his goblin attendants. How had he ever offered to be a slave to her cruel eyes, her petty whims? No one ruled _him_. And after all, it was not as if there weren't other strategies available to him. If cruelty and hardship could not capture her word, then perhaps… his signature smirk overtook his face as he motioned for a goblin to approach. A thread of magic, a spin of a crystal and a dark red rose bloomed in his hand. Casually, he offered it to the kneeling slave.

"Take this to Sarah. Tell her it is time for us to have another talk." Jareth's smirk widened, a glint entering his eyes.

"Majesty," the goblin said, scrambling to do as he was bid. Jareth gave him a sound kick to get him on his way, before settling back into his throne with a sigh. It was good to be king.

********************************POV Shift**********************************

Sarah had just finished a particularly trying lesson and was looking forward to some time to herself at the well on the edge of town. It had only been a day since her confrontation with Jareth and she could not help but twitch at every errant goblin barreling her way, every loud squeal or obnoxious jeer. Nowhere was safe. All of this was his domain; any sound could be a warning of his arrival.

Breathing deep in relief, she plopped down on the sun- warmed stones of the well. After a minute of basking, the memory of her resolution nagged at her.

"Oh, alright," she muttered to herself, using uninterested words in an attempt to cover the cold pain in her chest. Haltingly, she allowed access to the memories that pushed at the protective walls in her mind.

_Juggling toys in one hand, she quickly swiped her card through the machine with the other. Obediently, it opened, allowing her access to a world of color and chaos._

"_Sarah!" A chubby four year old raced toward her, flinging his arms around her legs. Laughing, Sarah pried him off her, grabbing his hand to lead him farther into the room._

"_So, Timmy, how have you been? Having fun?" Timmy's head bobbed ferociously as he hopped from foot to foot, staring at Sarah with adoration. Reaching the playroom, she quickly dumped the toys as a swarm of kids and toddlers greeted her. When she was finally able to stand from her hello's, she saw her friend and advisor, Jenny, striding toward her._

"_See the little devils got you, eh?" She motioned toward my face where, upon a quick inspection in a nearby mirror, I realized rainbow colored lines had been drawn. I groaned as Jenny laughed, turning her face to show where she, too, had been decorated. I noticed that despite her good humor, lines of strain showed around her eyes._

_After performing various tasks, I cornered her. Sarah Williams never went without an answer._

"_What's happened?" After some feet- shuffling and half- hearted attempts at diversion, she finally sighed, looking up at me._

"_It's just… it's getting so stressful, being here; I've never been manager of something before, there's just so much responsibility and it never goes away. Honestly, if it wasn't for you I'm not sure how I'd cope. You're always so energetic, helps me stay on top of things too." In an attempt to lighten the mood she added, _

"_You won't let some boy drag you off, will you?" Rolling my eyes at the running joke, I looked around before responding._

"_Honestly, small town it may be, but I don't see how I could ever leave this place. There's just so much here to stay for." Draping my arm around her shoulders, I led her toward the delighted giggles emanating from the main room. _

And now all that was gone. Sarah wondered how Jenny was doing, now. Who would she lean on? I mean, it wasn't as if she didn't have other friends, but they'd always been close, confidants in a sea of acquaintances. There wasn't anything she could do about it now. Setting her chin resolutely against the forthcoming tears, Sarah tried to convince herself that being dragged off like this hadn't broken her promise. It certainly wasn't the romance she and Jenny had sometimes discussed, finding someone gentle and loving. Sarah snorted at the idea of Jareth swooning over some girl. When the fantasy expanded to show him giggling as he threw rocks at her window, she throwing coy glances back at him, Sarah burst into outright laughter. It was in the midst of this laughter that a goblin raced up to her, bowing clumsily.

"Tall- tall! His Majesty has a message, he does!" Sarah's laughter immediately ceased, her whole body going rigid.

"And what would that message be?" She kept her voice controlled, not allowing her panic to seep in. She hoped.

"You's gots to go talk to him, you does! It's time, it is!" Dread stole over her. Swallowing heavily, Sarah forced herself to calm.

"Thank you for bringing the message, Higsy. Tell him I'll… I'll come… soon." It took more effort than it should have to get that out.

"But you gotta 'ake this, you do!" With that the goblin thrust forward a slightly crumpled rose before racing off, banging his head against cottage doors in an attempt to entice his friends to play a game.

Sarah stared at the rose in her hand. Cautiously, she turned it, staying on the alert for any magical effects. All she felt was a slight fluttering in her stomach, which she dismissed as nerves. Utterly confused, she shook her head before heading off in the direction of the castle. Looked like her peaceful solitude was going to be cut short once again.

By the time she reached the castle, Sarah was almost shaking with fear, as she still had no idea what Jareth wanted. Transferring the severely shredded rose to her front pocket, she rose a hand to graze the cold bronze of the door. It swung open at her touch, startling her. Directly ahead, Jareth stood, back turned to her, casually leaning on the back of this throne. Oh, she was so not ready for this. But, like always, he hadn't given her a choice. Emitting a small cough, she took a soft step into the room. He didn't turn. Curious, she walked faster, closing the space between them. With a final glance around the empty room, she reached out to touch his shoulder,

"Jareth? Wha-" her quaking voice never got to finish its question. In one swift move, he had grabbed her shoulders, pinning her against the wall. Above her, his eyes stared into hers, so intent.

"Sarah…" he murmured. With delicate precision, he brought his lips to hers. Tenderly, he moved them against hers, softly biting on the swelling flesh of her lips. It was warm and soft and oh so good. It was burning, igniting her from within and she didn't want it to stop, but… no! This was _Jareth_! What was she thinking?

"No… no, let me go!" With a burst of strength she shoved him aside, sprinting for all she was worth out the huge bronze doors. Hair flied in her face, sticking to her tear- coated face. As he collapsed in a deserted corner of the city, only one thought made its way through her muddled mind; _what the hell_?!

_A/N: Sorry for how long this update took, I was having a bit of trouble writing it and then my internet cut out :( But, it's up now, so tell me what you think; good or bad, all reviews are appreciated! As you can see, I decided to add some romance, this is my first time writing that genre but I'll try my best! Thanks to all my reviewers, you're all great! Update should be faster this next time; sorry again for how long this one took. Au revoir!_

Disclaimer_: If you recognize it, it is the wonderful work of Jim Henson and not mine :(_


	6. Proposition

For the first time in his life, Jareth was stunned. Completely, utterly, totally stunned. Could it be possible? A female had somehow rejected him, after he had _kissed_ them?! It simply did not fit into his view of life. He was King. King's were not rejected! Spinning on his heels, he smashed his fist into the wall he had been leaning against. Again! His hands started to ache through the gloves. Again! Blood started to emerge from his battered knuckles. Again! Again! Again Again Again A- frickin- gain!!

As the blood seeped through his gloves, making the black glisten like metal, he finally drew up. Dignity flew back to him like a cloud, enveloping him in majestic demeanor. Staring down at his battered hands with disgust, he carefully sent a thread of magic to heal himself.

There was obviously something wrong with the girl. He should just let the days pass. Allow her to become what she would, to take care of herself for once. Instead of pushing himself past exhaustion to attempt to live up to unbelievable expectations, to win her while he still could. He should just let her go. That was the heart of the matter. He should have just let her go back when she beat his Labyrinth. Never looked in on her again, allowed her fleeting life to pass without the gift of his presence or his care. What greater revenge could there be, than to leave her to the pathetic, mortal life she had been born to?

Mentally ordering himself, Jareth blocked the tirade of regrets. He never had regrets. Sarah would not push him to them now. No, he had done right. She had simply been scared, confused as to what he had to offer her. A shadow of his former smirk drifted onto his face. _This_ time, there would be no confusion. She would know exactly what he could offer, exactly what she would be giving up and she would accept. He knew where her weaknesses, what she would call her loyalties, lied. Humans, despite their many faults, were the masters of manipulation and exploitation and he had spent three hundred years observing and learning from the most ruthless of them. He knew his skills would not fail him now.

***********************************POV Shift***********************************

Sarah was hunched into a ball in bed, rocking herself as she attempted to fall into the blissful oblivion of sleep. She could still feel a shadow of his lips on hers and as much as it disgusted her, dammit, it felt good too! How long had it been since she had had someone hold her, even for a minute. Just take her hand in friendship, give her a one- armed hug as they walked down the shops. Hard to believe it had only been just over a week.

There was no common ground here, it wasn't like travelling, where you could still call and things were… similar, if different. In some ways, it made it easier. Easier to make a clean break. But losing everything, all at once as she had, it was devastating. Wearily, she pondered if she was in post- traumatic stress. After all, everyone she had known was lost to her. And, the best proof of all, she had let that arrogant ass kiss her, if only for a second. If that wasn't proof she'd gone off the deep end, she didn't know what was! A breathy chuckle escaped her lips and she sighed. It felt good to laugh. However hard and confusing things were, she'd be ok if she could just remember to laugh. Snuggling deeper into the covers, she spread herself out and was finally on the brink of sleep, that languid heaviness overtaking her.

"Oh, no, you don't. We have things to discuss, you and I." In a rush, all the ebbing tension flooded back to her, jerking her upright.

"Goblin King." She didn't want to sound respectful, but she couldn't bring herself to use his name after what had happened.

"So formal, Sarah. Never mind, that will be fixed soon enough." His arrogance pushed her anger over the edge, overtaking fear and reason.

"That's what you think you arrogant, stupid, son of a-"

"Enough." His voice was low, but there was no mistaking the threat contained within. "I have a proposition for you."

"Never! I don't care what it is, I will _never_ make a deal with _you _ever again!" Sarah forced her voice not to quake, projecting all her loathing into those two statements. She was through being scared of him, through watching her back at every turn, twitching at every sound; she would deal with this, and she would deal with it now. Jareth's face distorted into a mask of mock- disappointment. With an elegant gesture, he formed a crystal.

"Such a _pity_… your poor family. They'll take their last breaths knowing you didn't care enough to save them." His voice was deceptively light, his eyes locked on Sarah's as he watched with satisfaction as the fight drained out of them. To be replaced by cold fear.

"What have you done?!" He merely smiled. Terror flooded her, making it hard to breath. Her family didn't deserve this, it was her mess! Little Toby, Karen… What had he done to them?!

"What the hell have you done to my family, Jareth?!" With two strides he was upon her, grabbing her chin with a gloved hand. She didn't care. Whatever he did to her, she didn't care, just please let her family be safe…

"Nothing." Relief pounded into her, leaving her numb in his grasp. He leaned closer, positioning his mouth at her ear. Distantly, she realized she should pull away, but the emotional upheaval was just too much. She didn't have another strong emotion left in her. She supposed that was her only excuse for how she reacted to what he said next. With a controlled, almost nonchalant voice he exhaled the syllable that rendered her unconscious.

"Yet."

***********************************POV Shift***********************************

Irritation leaked into Jareth. He had just been getting to the good part; infuriating mortal always ruined his plans in the most unpredictable of ways. Ordering a bucket of cold water to be brought immediately, he used the time to mentally rehearse the specifics of what he would say, exactly how he would threaten her family. She couldn't become suspicious; after all, it was all lies and if she broke out of her stupidity, her unquestioning loyalty for a moment to actually _think_, she would see that.

Jareth laughed lightly at himself. What silly worries. As if he could be thwarted by this pathetic creature again; the other times had been pure luck and thick- headedness on her part. There was no way she would see past his lies- he was simply too good a liar.

With great pleasure, he floated the newly arrived ice- cold water above her and abruptly dropped the whole lot on her head. Jareth found himself grinning. It was so fun to watch her splutter and thrash like the inferior she was.

"Ah, Sarah. Back to the land of the living, I see?" He watched as she drew herself into a hunched position, curling her arms around her hunched knees. Thoughts distorted her face, too fast to follow. Finally, she settled on a look of pleading. Yes! Just as it should be.

"Don't hurt my family. Just… just don't hurt them." Jareth hummed in pleasure- her broken voice was music to his ears, a triumphant tune. It seemed he would not have to convince her, after all. Taking care not to let any speck of care show through the mask on his face, he began to circle her.

"Well, that really all depends on you, little Sarah. Are you ready to hear my proposition?" Words flew like silk from his mouth, settling as an almost tangible weight in the air. Such was his talent. Sarah seemed to hesitate- thinking before she acted, in seemed she could learn- before finally jerking her head down in a quick but resolute gesture. Jareth smiled, preparing to bare his heart for the third and final time, to find a home in which it could sit, a queen with which it could rule.

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say." The words rang out, so like the first time, yet different. They were burdened, now, with the knowledge of his previous defeat. No less sincere, simply more aware. He knew now what he had not known then; there were two answers to this question. Leave it to Sarah to find a third.

"But… no, my family, I can't leave them… what would you… and _love_- you can't force love…" Her voice was mere whispers, growing higher pitched as she went on. Jareth studied her with growing impatience, waiting for a syllable that wasn't present in her tirade of mumbled excuses. It was only as the silence grew so long he considered breaking it himself that she stood. Staring him straight in the eye, she talked with newly kindled fire in her eyes; a type of resolution that only hardship could bring.

"If… if I don't accept your- your _proposition_. What will you do to my family?" Jareth blinked. Damn her, she had to go and ask the one question, in the one form, that he couldn't answer without voiding the deal! Not 'if I accept will you leave my family alone', not just taking it for granted that he would hurt them if she didn't… bitterly Jareth realized he had been beat not only by her infamous stubbornness, but a lesson he himself had organized for her to learn. Take nothing for granted. How he wished she would, just this once. There was still a chance, though. Wordplay was a tricky thing.

"Oh, can't you guess, little Sarah?" It was an effort to keep his voice light, to avert his eyes so she wouldn't notice the burning intensity within. Something flickered in her eyes and he knew he was once again defeated.

"_Will_ you do anything to my family if I reject?" Her voice was steadier now, fueled by the rage of the nearly- conned. Her cheeks grew an enticing shade of red as her tirade continued, her confidence seeming to grow with each statement.

"_Can_ you do anything to them? I don't think you can! You have to be wished to go up there and they wouldn't do that! You're just a lying, arrogant, spoilt little king and you have no power over them!" Here her mouth curved into a smirk that closely mirrored some of his own. She stepped close enough to make him inhale her scent, staring down into her eyes while his mind fell into the chasm of rejection.

"And that means you have no power over me." There was no tone to this, there didn't need to be. The simple words, spoke as fact, closed the earth over the chasm he resided him. Jareth snapped. Wrenching her to him by the shoulders, he shook her with unrestrained force.

"Why, Sarah?! Why do you reject me! I offer you _everything_! I threaten _everything_! I give all I know how to give and yet you turn it away like it is _common filth_!" Sarah's eyes showed too much white as she stared up at him, but her arms were strong as she pushed him away. When she stood independently, she met his gaze.

"Everything? You offer me slavery, Jareth. '_Do what I say'_- you want me to be nothing more than your slave!" Bitterness steeped into her voice and her eyes grew moist. Jareth stared at her. Could she really be so blind? Why would he go to all this trouble for a slave?

"I don't want you to be a slave, Sarah. I want you to be my wife." Of course, he might have to file for divorce if this fainting thing became a habit, he thought sardonically as he caught her head before it hit the ground.

A/N: It has been a really long time since the last update, I actually had this chapter nearly finished a while ago and then I switched to an older computer and when I transferred the documents, I forgot to convert them to an older format so I couldn't open them. I know, stupid *rolls eyes at self*. Sorry about that. Hope you guys liked this chapter, you're all awesome for reading! And an extra special thanks to my awesome reviewers!! And if you're wondering, I haven't forgotten about the time limit or any of that, you'll see what it means soon enough! School's back on, so I'm pretty busy, but I will try my best to write the next chapter soon now I have my files back. Anyway… hope you enjoyed this chapter and remember, reviews make my fingers type faster :)

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's the wonderful work of Jim Henson and not mine.


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